Quick Facts
Biography
Matthew George "Matt" Guokas Jr. (/ˈɡuːkəs/; born February 25, 1944) is an American former professional basketball player and coach.
Biography
Playing career
Guokas played college basketball for hometown Saint Joseph's University, where he set many school records in assists and steals. After SJU, Guokas played for the Philadelphia 76ers team, featuring Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer, Chet Walker and Billy Cunningham, that ended the eight-year championship streak of the Boston Celtics. He also played with the Buffalo Braves, Chicago Bulls, Cincinnati Royals, Houston Rockets, and Kansas City Kings, all of the NBA. In the 1972–73 season, Guokas finished second (to Chamberlain) in the NBA in field goal percentage with a .570 clip during that season.
Coaching and broadcasting
Guokas later coached the Sixers and was the first coach of the Orlando Magic, compiling a combined 230-305 career record. He formerly worked as a TV color commentator and sports analyst for the Magic on FS Florida and Sun Sports cable channels, teaming with veteran NBA and college sportscaster David Steele. He has also served as a color commentator for NBA on NBC broadcasts during the 1990s and was a color commentator for the Cleveland Cavaliers for Fox Sports Ohio cable channel for a number of years in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Matt and his father, Matt Guokas Sr., were the first father-son duo to both win NBA championships as players; this feat has since been repeated by the Barrys (Rick and Brent), the Waltons (Bill and Luke) and the Thompsons (Mychal and Klay).
Head coaching record
| Legend | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win-loss % | |
| Post season | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win-loss % | |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHI | 1985–86 | 82 | 54 | 28 | .659 | 2nd in Atlantic | 12 | 6 | 6 | .500 | Lost in Conf. Semifinals |
| PHI | 1986–87 | 82 | 45 | 37 | .549 | 2nd in Atlantic | 5 | 2 | 3 | .400 | Lost in First Round |
| PHI | 1987–88 | 43 | 20 | 23 | .465 | (fired) | — | — | — | — | — |
| ORL | 1989–90 | 82 | 18 | 64 | .220 | 7th in Central | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
| ORL | 1990–91 | 82 | 31 | 51 | .378 | 4th in Midwest | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
| ORL | 1991–92 | 82 | 21 | 61 | .256 | 7th in Atlantic | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
| ORL | 1992–93 | 82 | 41 | 41 | .500 | 4th in Atlantic | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
| Career | 535 | 230 | 305 | .430 | 17 | 8 | 9 | .471 |
Family
Three generations of the Guokas family have played basketball for Saint Joseph's University: Matt Sr. (1935–38), Matt Jr. (1964–66), and Matt III (1989–92).